Hi friends! As promised, a follow up to my post a
couple of weeks ago on the chemical ingredient, fragrance, here's what I
learned about another member of the dirty dozen: parabens (butylparaben,
specifically). Most of my references came from the David Suzuki
Foundation, as well as EWG's Skin Deep
Database, Good Guide,
and as a few abstracts or research reports published on PubMed.

Butylparaben is a class of parabens commonly used in water-based
formulas in shampoos, conditioners and lotions. Parabens are found in 75
to 90 percent (typically at low levels) of cosmetics, making them the most
widely used cosmetic preservative. Synthetic parabens are absorbed by the
body and have been found to interfere with hormone function, and accumulate in
breast cancer tissue. The concern over parabens has been and continues to
be widely debated. There is little information available on any hazardous
effects of parabens on the environment. While the European Union treats
these synthetic compounds as cause for concern, there are currently no
restrictions on parabens in Canada.

According to the David Suzuki Foundation,
low levels of parabens occur naturally in certain foods, including barley, strawberries,
currents, vanilla, carrots, and onions, and are metabolized when eaten, making
them less likely to affect estrogen levels. In contrast, when the
synthetic petrochemical preparation used in cosmetics is applied to the skin,
it is easily absorbed by the body, circumventing the metabolic process and
entering the blood stream and organs intact.

Some studies have shown that parabens
can imitate estrogen and may also interfere with male reproductive
functions. Parabens are also suspected to interfere with the enzyme found
in the skin that flushes estrogen from the body, resulting in elevated levels
of estrogen. This bodes well for the argument that parabens are absorbed
into the body enough to be a concern. Parabens have also been detected in
breast cancer tissues, inferring a possible association between parabens in
cosmetics and cancer.

Based on the evidence that parabens
interfere with hormone function, the European Commission on Endocrine
Disruption has prioritized them as a Category 1 substance. While international
regulations on parabens are strong, there are no restrictions on the use of
parabens in cosmetics in Canada. The David Suzuki Foundation suggests
that more research is needed regarding levels of
parabens in people. Human exposure has been indicated in studies
conducted by the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, which found four different parabens in urine samples.

EWG rates the overall hazard of butylparaben slightly above
moderate (7 out of 10), with a high concern for endocrine disruption. It
gives a slightly below moderate rating for allergies and immunotoxicity and
developmental and reproductive toxicity, and an in between low and no rating
for cancer. Good Guide rates butylparaben of high regulatory concern given
that it meets the criteria used to identify “Substance of Very High Concern” in
the European Union’s REACH program and is being prioritized for replacement by
safer alternatives.

There does not seem to be a lot of available information on
the effects of parabens on the environment. I was able to find two
studies conducted in 2007 by the University of Tokushima in Japan: one acutely
testing the removal efficiency of butylparaben (and benzylparaben) from a
wastewater treatment plant and one on the persistence of paraben compounds in
aquatic environments. The results from the study on the efficiency of
waste removal suggested the necessity of further
study such as “more detailed large-scale monitoring and chronic toxicity
tests.” The second test conducted river water biodegradation tests and
found that butylparaben (and benzylparaben) were relatively biodegradable;
however, the level of degradability was dependent on the site and time in which
the sample was taken. Experiments were also conducted to determine the
absorption levels in river sediments and a soil sample. The concentration
level of butylparaben was similar to that of natural estrogen.

Even though the research, albeit
limited, indicates that butylparaben is relatively biodegradable and its
absorption levels are similar to that of natural estrogen, it is my opinion
that care should be taken in both the manufacturing and disposal of the
compound to protect the degradation of waterways and to prevent an increase in
concentration levels of estrogen. Given the potential for these
environmental effects, as well as the health concerns described above, I
believe that best efforts should be made to avoid this ingredient.

Finding products that do not contain parabens has been
easier than I anticipated. Thankfully, concern has been growing over the
years about manufacturer’s use of toxic chemicals, resulting in an increased
amount of studies and forcing many companies to find alternatives in order to make
their products safer. Many companies now boast ‘paraben free’ products,
no doubt improving their marketability to concerned consumers. Aveda is
one such company who has recently stopped
manufacturing products with parabens. However, as I said in my last
post, it's important to stay critical: their products still contain other toxic
ingredients, nor can we be sure that the 'alternatives' to parabens are safe,
if they've not been tested.

It is ultimately up to
us, the individual consumer, to decide; we are lucky enough to live in a first
world country where we have access to so much information and are able to
exercise our right to choose. It’s a right we ought not to take for
granted. And, if we’re not ready to give up a beloved product, we can consider
making a change elsewhere in our house to offset that product. For
example, I don’t feel ready to give up my Aveda products yet; so, we’ve recently
started changing some of our household cleaning products. This feels
easier for me, probably because I feel less of an attachment to cleaning
products, than I do to my hygiene products. Making adjustments that we
are excited about are far more likely to result in lasting changes.